What’s Your Backup Plan? – Elizabethtown College ITS Blog

Personal devices make it much easier to work on the go, but they’re easier to steal or misplace. Keeping your devices secure is crucial in this age of identity theft. Here are a few ways to make your device easier to find if it’s lost, and how to protect it from malicious hands.

Create a password or fingerprint recognition.

Making a password or fingerprint recognition is one of the first and most obvious things you can do to secure your device. Both Android and iOS devices come with the capacity to require a passcode before the device can be accessed. Passcodes and other security settings can be configured in your device’s settings menu.

Make sure that location tracking is enabled.

Another simple and hugely important protection for your device is location tracking. Losing your phone is a nerve-wracking experience, but it’s less stressful if you can see a map with the location of your phone marked on it with just a few clicks. Make sure that your device’s “Find Me” feature is enabled. On iOS devices, that’s an iCloud service called “Find My iPhone.” Most Android devices now come with “Android Device Manager,” which allows you to track your phone’s location with your Google account.

Encrypt and backup your device’s information.

In the worst case scenario, you know that there is no hope of getting your phone back. It’s lucky that you encrypted and backed up your data, right? Make sure you check your device’s settings to see if it automatically encrypts its data. This information is usually found in the security section of your settings. If not, enable it or install encryption software. This ensures that even if someone malicious gets their hands on your device, they won’t be able to steal your identity. Backup all your device’s information as often as possible to reduce any loss. These two things together create safer and more easily recoverable data for that worst case scenario.

Have a written record of your device’s unique characteristics.

The next thing you can do is to write down the manufacturer, model, and serial numbers of your devices. Store this information in a safe place. In the event that you need to report a missing device, you now have the information that makes your device unique. This will aid in the identification of your device.

Keep important numbers like Campus Security (ext. 1264) and your service provider’s handy.

You should also keep important phone numbers around. Record your cell phone service provider’s number, E-town’s ITS Help Desk number (ext. 3333), and Campus Security’s non-emergency number (ext. 1264). Your cell provider may be able to shut off your service. Campus Security can help you locate your lost device. ITS can help recover your data in the event you have to purchase a new device.

Essentially:

Create a password and fingerprint recognition.
Make sure location tracking is enabled.
Encrypt and backup your device’s information.
Have a written record of your device’s unique characteristics.
Keep important numbers like Campus Security (ext. 1264) and your service provider’s handy.

Remember – better safe than sorry!

Article adapted from http://er.educause.edu/blogs/2016/5/july-whats-your-personal-backup-plan. Additional information from http://www.androidcentral.com/how-track-android-phone.